Google Streamlines Concert and Ticket Searches

Google is easing the search for concert information and tickets with a recent announcement of enhancements to how official ticket links, event listings, comedian events, and venue events are displayed in search results. Web developers can now insert markups directly into the site's code or deploy a widget or plugin that generates the markup. The markup can be taken from Google's schema.org, or a supported events widget can be installed from BandPage, Bandsintown, Songkick, or Gigpress. Ticketmaster's John Loken says his company has been working with Google for "a couple of years" to streamline concert searches and ticket buying, and he notes an ambiguous search can now yield relevant, local information without directing a consumer to dubious sites. "We're helping [Google] give official, structured information," Loken says. The drive for augmented music search stems from Google's Knowledge Graph, a search technology designed to better understand user interests so Google can predict the kinds of information the searcher might want. Any venue employing a primary ticketing company that uses the markup is covered, and Google will read the vendor's markup and use the information for the venue's event listings. In March 2014, Google also began a collaborative project with artist site developers to use similar markup on artists' official websites.